Car-coupling.



No. 645,304. Patented Mar. l3, I900.

' J. TIMMS.

GAR COUPLING.

lic n filed. Dec. 20, 1899.\

[N VEN T OR UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIC JAMES TIMMS, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE BUCKEYE MALLEABLE IRON AND COUPLER COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 645,304, dated March 13, 1900.

Application filed December 20, 1899- Serial 741,042. (No model.)

T0 (LZZ whom, it may concern.-

Beit known that I, JAMES TIMMS, a resident of Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Couplings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in car-couplings, the object of the invention being to provide improved means for automatically throwing the knuckle outward when released from its locking means.

A further object is to provide a coupling with a spring-actuated jaw or knuckle and so mount the actuating-spring as to protect it and also so as not to interfere in the slightest with the removal or replacement of the knuckle.

With these objects in view the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, as will be more fully hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a View, partly in section, illustrating my improvements; and Figs. 2 and 3 are enlarged detail views.

A represents the draw-bar head of the coupling, B the knuckle, and O the pivot-bolt pivotally connecting the knuckle and head.

The details of construction of this coupling are precisely like the construction disclosed in Patent No. 624,707, granted to me May 9,

1899, for car-couplings, except such detailsas will be more fully hereinafter pointed out. The upper surface of the lower portion of the head A around the pivot-bolt hole is recessed to form a socket 1,and a rearwardly-extending groove 2 communicates with said socket at one side thereof. A spring 3, composed of a single piece of spring metal coiled between its ends, as shown, is disposed in the socket 1 around the pivot-bolt O, and one end 4 of said spring is disposed in the groove 2.

The knuckle Bis provided in its lower face around its pivot-bolt hole with a recess or socket 5, open at its rear end for the reception of the upper portion of the spring 3, and the upper end 6 of the spring 3 is adapted to bear against the shoulder 7 to press the knuckle outward.

It will be seen that by making the recess or socket 5 in the knuckle of sufficient size I am enabled to first place the spring in proper position in the draw-head A and then readily place the knuckle in position and insert the pivot-bolt without in the slightest displacing the spring and without creating any tension on the spring and that when the parts are all assembled the spring will be entirely inclosed, and hence out of danger.

When the knuckle is closed, the shoulder 7 bears against the end of the spring 3 adja cent thereto and compresses the spring. Hence it will be seen that as soon as the look ingpin a, block, or other device employed for holding the knuckle in its locked position is withdrawn, so as to release the knuckle, the spring operates to automatically throw the knuckle to its open position and hold it in such position until it is closed by contact with the knuckle of the coupling with which it is to be coupled.

Various slight changes might be resorted to in the general form and arrangement of the several parts described without departing from the spiritand scope of my invention, and hence I would have it understood that I do not wish to limit myself to the precise details set forth, but consider myself at liberty to make such slight changes and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In a car-coupling, the combination with a 0 draw-head having a socket therein around its pivot-bolt hole and a groove communicating with said socket, a knuckle and a pivot-bolt connecting said knuckle and draw-head, of a spring disposed in the socket in the draw- 5 head and around the pivotbolt and having one end disposed in said gooove, said specification in the presence of two subscribknuckle having a recess thereon open at its ing witnesses.

rear end for the reception of the upper portion of the spring and a. shoulder on said JAMES TIMMS 5 knuckle against which one end of the spring Witnesses:

bears. F. C. EATON,

In testimony whereof I have signed this J. C. STONE. 

